The Friend: Rewritten
by Vermin616
Summary: Corneria has been forsaken by Star Fox for 10 years, but they are returning for their very first live Star Fox QnA panel, unaware of how much their absence has impacted the population. Chase, a 19 year old male jackal, has just spent his weekly savings on a ticket to this QnA panel, which makes his low-class family upset at him. Was the money worth it?
1. Introduction

Do you remember my very first Star Fox fanfiction "The Friend"? I wouldn't blame you if you don't and honestly, it's better that it remains that way.

The Friend was ten chapters of a story that would take random nosedives into ridiculously dark and over-the-top situations whilst at the same time trying to be one about Hurt/Comfort, along with poor characters, poor world-building, poor writing and _very_ poor dialogue. I was young when I wrote that and not a very good writer.

After reading my story again just recently, I've decided I will take the general concept of it and turn it into something better. This is a remake of "The Friend" that's meant to take the original story and make it better in every single way possible. I encourage you to **not** read the original story, unless you want some good laughing and cringe material. Shift your focus on this remake.

The story will focus on a young male jackal named Chase. Chase is a 19 year old college drop-out living in a poor family consisting of his mother, sister and sick grandfather. Relationships between his family are currently tense, while Chase is doing his best to keep the family stable and also provising medication for his old man.

Chase is a big fan of the Star Fox team, a team of heroic mercenaries who are legendary in Corneria for their good deeds in the past. However, their 10 year-absence has caused the Cornerian population of Corneria City to suffer a drop in morality, aided with the rising rate of crime and corruption within politicians all around its globe. With its infrastructure slowly crumbling with its economy, Corneria City stands on its last legs, without any hope in itself to rise again.

Star Fox is about to return to Corneria, unaware of how much their absence has affected the population, for their very first Star Fox QnA panel. Chase, excited and anxious, has just spent his weekly savings on a ticket to this QnA, which builds up tension along his family and himself. Will his expense be worth it?

 **EDIT:** The original The Friend story was deleted by yours truly. After reading it again, I simply could not allow such thing to still be up on FanFiction. Yes, it was _that_ bad.


	2. Chapter 1: My Wonderful Family

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

My grandfather loved that clock. I guess they don't call it grandfather's clock for nothing, huh? It sat just behind me, ticking, counting each passing second of our lives. My grandfather, the man sitting just in front of me on his wheelchair, wearing a green polo shirt and black pants, loved hearing that sound. The ticking. The tocking. I dunno why he loved it so much. Perhaps because he knew that soon, his seconds on Corneria would end and he'd finally reach peace.

I love my grandfather Jones. I hate seeing him in such a state. Sitting there, catatonically looking past me, just to watch his clock. That clock probably had been passed down from generation to generation for decades. He just sits there, looking at the clock through his slightly blurred spectacles. His hands barely move, the old bones in his 87 year old body rattling with each movement he makes. He'd only move those bones for two things. Eat and put cigarettes in his mouth. I couldn't understand how such an old man with such poor health could still enjoy smoking so much. I dreaded to think what his lungs looked like.

"...Grandpa." I spoke up, looking to him, "...Would you like to have anything? Some soup, maybe?"

Grandpa did not respond. He kept looking at the clock, watching those pointers move, watching that pendulum swing. I pursed my lips and looked at my wrist watch. In five minutes, mom and sis should be back.

I stood up, walked past my grandfather and went upstairs, to my room. I opened my door to papers scattered all over my bed, my nine year old computer turned on and posters of bands, movies and games across my wall. I sat on my chair, in front of my computer. I was watching a video of some guy doing a let's play of this new military shooter game "Guns For Hire", being loud and overreacting each word he'd spit out, playing a game I couldn't even dream of running on this old machine. I dunno why I liked watching him so much. Maybe because of the energy he had, even if exaggerated.

I closed my eyes, inhaled, exhaled and closed my browser. I was done hearing loud yelling through my headset. I opened one of the saved documents on my computer. Its title read "The Enigma of The Blue Gardens", my own attempt at doing thriller after being inspired by books I last read years ago. Dragging it to my computer's trash bin, I disposed of it. A failed story I attempted to create, just like many others.

I heard the door be unlocked downstairs and swung open right after. Mom came in, already barking orders at my sister, "Here, take all these bags and put them on the counter. Put the beverages in the fridge, cans in the cupboards..."

"Mom, we just got home, chill for a second!" My sister responded.

"There ain't no time to chill, hun, I gotta get to work in ten. Now hurry up!"

Mom was a very systematic lady. The woman of the house. She'd yell orders at us and hurry us with everything we did, because to her, if we weren't doing something productive, we weren't being useful. She was harsh, but, her intentions were good. Poor mom...Dad was such a drag. He'd beat her in front of me and my sis when we were just kids. By the time we were a bit more grown-up, he left our house for good. Never heard a word of him since.

After he left, mom brought in our grandfather, Jones. Jones used to be a healthy old man who helped out a lot in the house. Things changed when he got liver disease and his heart issues spiked. He were never the same after liver surgery, a surgery we had to work hard to pay for. By fourteen, I was already working at Jim's local convenience store. Jim was a good man, even if a little clumsy. He lost his hand when he used to work at a fish factory, which drove him to start his own business.

My sister worked as a chef in a restaurant. She's four years older than me and was a very good cook. After Jones's liver surgery however, she lost her job due to layoffs. I don't know what she works with now, she never tells. Mom thinks she's up to no good, but considering how desperate we are for money, she doesn't worry about it too much, specially considering that my sister now brings in the most money to the house. All we hope for is that she doesn't bring us any trouble.

Me? I still work at Jim's, as a clerk. Jim's one of my best friends and always has my back whenever some abusive customer enters the store. His hand prosthesis looks so awesome. Well, not 'I wanna cut my hand off just to get one like his' awesome, but awesome. I'm rather nerdy for tech, which is why I hang out so often by his shop. Its located at one of the more advanced parts of Corneria City.

Oh, I love Corneria City. Big, blooming, colourful day and night. I live in the slums, unfortunately. Dark, gray and foggy here, crime everywhere, but our neighbors live close to each other like a brotherhood. From my window, I can see downtown. I love watching it from here. I love being there whenever I get the chance.

And tomorrow...that's where I'm going. Downtown Corneria City. Why? Well...Star Fox. Star Fox is coming back. My idols since I were a little kid. My grandfather used to tell me stories about how they saved Corneria over and over again from Lylat's worst space scum. True real life heroes, they are! They haven't been here for a decade now. I just can't wait to see them come back.

 **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**

A series of knocks on my door happened. I knew from the force of it that it were my mom. I got up and opened my door for her. She had a stern look on her face.

"So...you are going downtown tomorrow, aren't you?" She said, "Visiting that Star Fox team? What was it? Er...Q and...A panel they're making?"

"Yeah, the Star Fox QnA panel. I asked grandpa if he wanted to come, but he just shook his head."

"...Hmph." Mom didn't look pleased. She simply stuck her hand into her back pocket, counted some bills in her hand and handed it to me, "Here's some credits for the bus."

"Credits? Mom, I'm going to bike there. I've already spent a lot of money on this QnA panel. I don't want to waste more money."

"Biking there? What if you get hit by a car? What if you get robbed? Downtown is very far away, young man. Just take the public transportation."

"Mom..." I sighed, holding the credits in my hand, "...You're being paranoid. Please, just..." I handed them back to her, "Keep these. We need it."

"We need it? Boy, we needed that money you spent on this...whatever it's called panel."

"Mom..." A looming sense of dread hit my chest. Ever since I told her about going to this QnA panel she's been acting so cold to me. She really wasn't happy that I spent my weekly savings on something so...'trivial', according to her. She had that mom look and mom attitude of making you feel bad for doing something she didn't like, "...I'll make that money back. I promise you. Please, keep these credits to yourself. They're yours. And we need it. I won't spend like an idiot again after this."

She tilted her head, her ears tilting to the side as well, looking into my eyes with those sleep deprived ones of her own, "...Will you, Chase?"

"Yes, mom...I just...I love them. I really do. I want to see them again."

"Chase. Star Fox has abandoned us for ten years. Corneria is in the dumps now because of them. Those are the heroes you're gonna see." She took a step back, sighing, "...Remember that when you get there. Now, if you excuse me. I need to get ready for work." With that, mom walked away. Not even a 'bye'. Not even a 'I love you'.

I shut my door, closed my eyes and took a deep sigh. I sat on my bed, looking down to the floor. Mom really knew how to make her son feel ashamed of himself. A good thing. I spent way too much on...maybe too little.

Star Fox, a team of mercenaries, heroes of Lylat. They left Corneria in the dark ever since they last visited us. Some speculated they had perished, but, official reports said they were still alive, just...going somewhere else. Not bothering to come back. We first speculated they were busy with something, but, they weren't. The past decade had been the most peaceful one for them in a long time. And not once during it, they came back to visit us.

But, they're coming tomorrow. I'm happy that they are. I dunno about everyone else. I'm sure they want to redeem themselves.

 _Knock knock knock knock_

Casual knocks on my door this time. It was my sister, for sure. I stood up and opened the door for her.

"Hey, bro." She greeted me, extending me a hand. I shook it. It felt cold, probably because of all the beverages she had to push in the fridge, "What's up?"

"Not much...just, sitting here. Failed another story again. Third one this month."

"Aw...you get it sometime, yeah?" She patted my shoulder.

I love my sister. Her name is Tara. She's such a good-hearted girl. Warm soul, kind and helpful personality. At least, well, it's what we know on the surface. I still have no clue what her job is now. I dunno what she does behind our backs. I trust her, but...I can't help but doubt her sometimes. She never came back hurt or emotionally shaken since her new job, so I assume the least she's doing is slaying dope. Whatever it is, it brings in good money, even if probably unclean.

"I'll get it right someday. I really want to put out a book."

"Have it be a best-seller and we won't have to live in this shitty neighborhood anymore, huh?" She chuckled, "Just kidding, Chase. Just put out something you're comfortable with."

"That's the thing. Nothing I do makes me comfortable. It may be at first, but then my liking for it goes down and down and...down." I crossed my arms, looking off to the side, "...It's annoying, you know?"

"Yeah...I don't know much about writing, but...I have faith in you, little bro. You'll put out something one day. You'll like it and other people will too. Keep trying, okay?" She put a hand on my shoulder, "...You can do it."

"Thanks, Tara." I smiled to her, bringing a hand onto her arm and rubbing on it just gently, "...I'm so glad to have you as my sister."

"Heh," she chuckled, rubbing my shoulder, "and I couldn't be gladder to have a creative brother like you, Chase. I'll see you around, okay?" With that, she took her hand off my shoulder and walked away. Before she disappeared into her bedroom, she turned for a moment, "Oh and please...try to not spend too much again next time. Please?"

I shut my door once more and this time, went to my chair. I placed my elbow on my desk, tapping my finger against my furred cheek. Come on, Chase, think of another story to write. Something awesome. Something that will make your mind open itself and spew its contents out onto the paper. Well, the virtual paper in my computer that is.

I looked at my posters. All the games there. Old games, some new games I didn't even own and only liked because I watched them on .

Distant Cries, FearZ, Gorezone, Surface Tension...

Surface Tension.

A game about a scientist trapped in a physics research facility that develops portals, which accidentally opens a portal to another dimension of Corneria where a nuclear war gave life to radioactive mutants to enter the facility and our dimension. This scientist must survive and escape using a combination of quick thinking portal puzzles and combat.

Hm...interesting.

I turned myself to my computer and opened Jarvosoft Papers, my main writing program. And there, I spent my evening. Writing and writing about interdimensional explorers and how they came to be.

I wrote until my desk digital clock hit midnight. There, I paused, saved my document and drove myself to sleep. And now for tomorrow...

Star Fox.


	3. Chapter 2: To Glory

"TARA! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!"

3:00 AM.

Mom was awake and soon would be the whole house, if not the whole neighborhood. Mom had this tendency to not go to bed unless the house was the way she wanted it to be; completely 100% clean. God helped anyone trying to go to sleep while leaving one piece of garbage behind or something out of place. She wanted everything neat and tidy, every single day.

"Mom, what the hell...?" Tara said. I unwillingly listened to their conversation, burying my face into the bed and pressing my pillow over it, holding it down by each end, trying to get back to sleep.

"What did I tell you about leaving soda cans over the counter, missy?!"

"I was gonna get rid of it tomorrow..."

"No! After you use anything, you throw the litter in the trash! I don't want it anywhere else, not for a single minute! I've told you this since you were a little girl, Tara."

Tara, courteous of others, didn't prolongue the conversation any longer, "...Sorry mom. I won't do it again. I promise."

"Good. Now get back to bed. Goodnight." Mom said, beginning to head to her room, "Love you."

"Love you too." Tara shut her door. I could finally rest my head over my pillow again.

Mom is a wonderful lady, but she really knew to be spiteful too. Ever since dad left the house, she never really were the same person. Tara says she ended up borrowing some stuff from dad. I disagree. Mom is much better than dad, she's just very bossy and doesn't really properly think about others when she's in these moods. I mean, waking up everyone late at night over a soda can? Come on.

I felt bad for grandpa Jones. Jones slept in the guest room just next to my sister's. He was treated much like the same way Tara and I were; like children. While she had much more respect and care for him, she still would yell at him from time to time. I found it...disgusting, quite honestly. No way to treat your sick father.

And Jones...he just sits there, looking at her. He doesn't talk, he doesn't even show anything in his face. I feel bad for him. He's bottling up so much in his chest and I can feel it myself. I say nothing whenever she does it, as to not escalate things.

I simply laid on my side, closing my eyes and sighing. Tara...she's such a good sister. Her and I do our best to be good children to our mom and good grandchildren to our grandfather. Yet...we barely feel any feedback from them. As you grow older, it feels like you get dull and duller, angry and angrier...perhaps we haven't reached that point yet.

Perhaps, we're still just too young.

I fell asleep seconds later.

* * *

 **BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP BEEP!**

My alarm clock rung out at 8:00 AM. The Star Fox QnA was scheduled just two hours from now on. I pushed that snooze button and got right up quickly. A little too quickly.

As I walked to my door, I felt myself going lightheaded. I took in a few breaths as I stumbled against the door, opening it and heading straight for the bathroom. Right away, I threw some water onto my face and reached for my toothbrush and toothpaste.

I was working fast. I didn't want to miss this event, not even if an arm and a leg would cost me it. Ten years I had waited for this moment, of seeing my idols right in front of me. God, the last time I saw them, my dad still was sleeping the room next to the bathroom's.

I spat out the toothpaste, got out of the bathroom and back into my room, switching out of my pajamas and going for whatever fresh clothes I saw first. Soon, I had a black hoodie on with a yellow tee underneath, gray jeans and red sneakers.

I rushed downstairs, feet thudding against the steps. My mom yelled at me from the kitchen.

"CHASE!" She appeared at the doorway, "What'd I tell you about running in the house?!"

"Sorry, mom!" I said as I reached the last step, going past her and into the kitchen. She held me by the back of my hoodie.

"And where do you think you're going? Breakfast isn't ready yet. You're waiting an hour and a half."

"An hour and a half? Mom, I'm gonna be late for the QnA! The line will be gigantic, I gotta get there as soon as I can!"

"That ain't nothing of my concern now, is it?" She gave me that look. That sleep deprived look she'd give me since I were younger, "You wait for your food. You're not going anywhere until you're done with it."

Without any further words, she went back to the counter to continue preparing meals for the rest of us. Soup for grandpa, diet sandwich for my sister, toast with peanut butter for me and whatever she'd get for herself.

I simply took some steps back and sighed, heading back upstairs slowly. As I reach the top, I see my sister coming out of grandpa's room with him on his wheelchair, taking him to the bathroom, "Hey sis." I said to her.

"Hey Chase." She smiled to me. Grandpa looked to me, then back to the bathroom as he were pushed into it, "Big day today, huh?" She chuckled, "Excuse me for a bit."

"No rush." I responded, watching her enter the bathroom. I went into my bedroom, sitting at my desk and booting up my computer. I could put more work into that story of mine.

Silly me. I spent so much time into it yesterday I hadn't even gave it a name. Let's go with...

Out Of This World! Nah, too cliché. Alternate Dimensions? Too standard and direct. Cosmic Raiders? There's probably already a game with that name...hm.

I was having trouble with names. It seemed that whenever my creativity would be required, it'd smash into a brick wall. The pains of being a writer.

How about...Urgh. Urgh? Urgh would be an interesting name. Doesn't mean anything, but, it'd be unusual. And people love the unusual.

I've decided that, for now, I'd name my story Urgh.

 _Knock knock knock knock_

"Bro, can I have a word with you?" Tara asked behind the door. I looked over my shoulder, shifting on my plastic chair.

"Yeah, come on in." I told her. She opened my door and came right in.

"Hey hey," she said, "mind if I sit on one of your bean bags?"

"Nope, go right ahead." I stood up, turning my plastic chair around and sitting on it once more, looking to her, "...What's up?"

"Well..." She laid back on my bean bag. I had three of them, one of each color. Orange, green and blue, "...How have you been feeling?"

"..." I shifted my eyes around, "...Hm?"

"How have you been, Chase?" She repeated her question, "Lately, you've seem rather...distant. Not like, grandpa distant, but, you know...far. I think you've been overworking yourself with your stories, bro."

I blew a raspberry, "That's nonsense, Tara. I love writing. It's my passion. My only useful one."

"I know...but you've been stressed, haven't you? Anyone would be stressed as they realize their works are...well, not going anywhere they want it to be."

"Of course, I've been stressed, silly, it's part of being a writer. The feeling of actually writing something I want and having it be a success will be the final, massively gratifying reward, as you said yesterday."

"Yeah...but..." Her gaze drifted away, "...what if that never happens, Chase?"

I tilted my head, furrowed my brows. Deep inside of me, I felt...curious. Somewhat taken back, "...What are you talking about, Tara?"

"Don't get me wrong, Chase. You got potential. But, I've come to learn that potential...doesn't always lead to what you want. Writing is for you...but maybe not in the way you think."

There was a brief silence. I felt...insulted, "...Are you doubting me, Tara?"

"No, Chase, absolutely not. I'm just saying that you should focus on other things besides writing. Maybe a new hobby. You're a good writer, but, nothing is coming out of that."

"Tara, writing is my passion. My only...my only useful passion. I can't throw it away like that. I...I can't!" I put my palms upwards, sitting up a bit, "If I put a good book out, I'll save this family! I'll mend it together, Tara. We won't have to always be so careful with money. Grandpa will get the help he deserves and you...well, you won't need to be doing whatever you're doing behind our backs."

"..." She simply sighed, blinking a few times, "Chase...you shouldn't hold onto things just because you like them. They may not always benefit you."

"Tara, I know. I do...I'm not freaking ten, okay?" I leaned back on my chair, looking to her, breathing rather heavily. I felt challenged. She was doubting me and my writing skill. A skill I built up for years, all to bring me and them into a better life.

"...Think about it, Chase. I'm gonna go now, I think grandpa's done with his needs." She stood up, going for the door. As she shut it behind herself, she gave one last deadpan look at me, before closing the door completely.

I sat there, looking at that wooden, rusty door. I looked back to my writing on that computer. I took a deep breath, stood up, flipped my chair around and got right back to it.

Urgh, huh? This is it. This is the story that's going to put me into my deserved fame and fortune. I need it. My family needs it. Grandpa Jones...he needs this. This story needs to succeed.

In an hour and fifteen minutes, about two thousand more words were on that paper. I took a break, sitting back, relaxing. My head hurt from so much brainstorming.

 **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK**

"Breakfast's up!" Mom shouted through the door. I checked my computer's clock. 9:15 AM.

Damn.

I got up and went out of my room as fast as I can. I bolted to the kitchen, much to my mother's dismay once more.

"CHASE! WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!"

"Sorry, ma!"

I got my plate right away. Toast with peanut butter. I brought it to the table and began munching away at it. Grandpa sat just before me, at the other side, using his spoon to bring soup to his mouth slowly, over and over again. He'd look at me, then back down. Not a single word coming from him.

"Chase, eat slowly, for gosh's sake!" My mom yelled into my ear, "What's got into you, kid?! Those Star Fox guys aren't going anywhere!"

I didn't really pay much attention to her apart from slowing myself down just a tad. I got done with that toast quickly and downed that glass of milk in just a few gulps. I set everything at the counter, as she'd tell us to do, for her to clean.

"Thanks, mom, breakfast was great!" I said as I went to her, giving her a gentle hug from the side as she browsed through the fridge. She didn't hug back at all. I let go of her, "I gotta go now. I'll be back home by the afternoon. I love you, mom!"

"Love you too, Chase."

Running through the door by grandpa's clock, I got my bicyle from the garage. I pushed the button on the wall and it opened up in its usual slow fashion. I biked outside right away, letting the door close by itself automatically by the next minute.

And now, to pedal to the event I waited for over ten years.


	4. Chapter 3: Ten Years

Ten years. Ten years is what I've waited for the moment I'm biking towards right now. Dodging vehicle after vehicle, getting some horns honked and some birds flipped at me, but I couldn't care. As I got downtown, biking through the busy and clogged streets that split the concrete jungle in so many pieces, I could only think to myself, "...I can't wait...I can't wait...I can't wait!"

In a moment of distraction, I almost rear end a taxi, shifting my bicyle to the side quick enough to avoid it. I wasn't wearing a helmet, which was not only dangerous, but also illegal. Still, I never had any Cornerian police after me for it. Sometimes I'd ride right past them and they'd just yell at me to put a helmet on. Should I have listened to them? Absolutely. But I love the thrill so much more. The thrill of defying death when riding past each car, turning each lane and going downhill.

Downtown is so nice to look at. Looking forward, all you see are gray and black slim cars but when you look up, it's something else entirely. Big, colourful holograms that screamed capitalism at you. All the brands that you've seen over and over again since you've been born. Powerbox Soda, Winston's Chocolate Bars, Tyrex Automobiles and so much more. First, there were billboards. Then, screen displays. And now, this. It truly brought more life into the otherwise dull, boring look of our high-rise buildings. Always gray or white, never another single splash of color.

Finally, I was near the event. Dakota Stewarts Convention Center, with a convenient bicycle parking rack right next to it.

Sometimes I felt like I was the only that still rode a bike in this city. The rack was completely empty, so my bike was a fine temporary addition to it. It was simple, you just placed your tire in one of the available spaces in the rack and immediatelly, it'd be locked in place. I give out my name to the little console right next to the spot and there we go. Every hour with the bike there, I'd be charged more and more credits straight from my bank account. When I'd want it back, I'd just have to put my thumb against the screen so it can analyse my fingerprints.

Having myself be charged at least fifty credits per hour was always a bitter thing, but I'd rather have this than getting my bike stolen and needing to take public transportation for the next six months. I'm not making that mistake again.

A huge line was right in front of the Dakota Stewarts Convention Center, which was expected considering the type of event they were holding. Even still, I expected this line to be just a little longer. It barely would cross a block or two like when a blockbuster movie would come out on theaters. Perhaps it's the effect ten years of absence has done on people. To this city, Star Fox aren't really their heroes anymore.

I got my spot in the line after running up to it, standing just behind a couple made of two lynxes, one talking to another. I'm not a fan of eavesdropping, but I didn't have much else to hear besides horns, tire screeches and whatever weird hissing sound was coming from the nearby manhole, with a lot of smoke to back it up too. Probably some busted pipe.

"Ten years, hun!" The female lynx said to the other one, "I'm so excited! Last I saw them, I were a little girl."

"Yeah, you've told me." The male responded, quite bitterly, no expression in his voice, "...I wish I could share that excitement."

"Oh, come on, Dave, smile a little. These guys saved Corneria more than once. You probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for them."

"...If I ask you to talk about them more often with me, will we stop having like, one conversation per week?"

Ouch. That's where I stopped listening. The line moved forward a little. It seemed to shuffle forward every five minutes or so. Mix that with the increasing cold wheather and at least thirty-nine people in this line and soon you'd get quite a bunch of angry complaints being thrown at the single security guard and the guy taking the tickets.

"What's the hold-up?!"

"I'm freezing my whiskers off here, hurry it up!"

"We're gonna miss Star Fox and it's gonna be your fault!"

"Did anyone see my daughter? Where'd my daughter go?! Cheryl?!"

All the noise combined with the car horns and some loud rap being played in a nearby alleyway weren't making things any comfortable.

Then, some arguing started with the poor security guard. Some guy began pushing him and the guard pushed back. In the span of five seconds, the two were on the ground, wrestling each other for that nightstick. This certainly wasn't going to do the line any favors.

I rolled my eyes and rubbed my temples, frustration growing within me. Then, I turned my head to the left. In-between me and an alleyway just beside the convention center, was a fence that could be easily climbed over. There was a window further into it that could give me a shortcut...

No, not today. Too risky and there's already a bunch of people behind me, frustrated as much as I am. Better just wait this scuffle out. To hell with it, if they end up telling everyone to go away and cancel the event, I'll take that window and find the Star Fox team myself if I have to.

The crazy dude was eventually subdued and the police arrived to take him away. The receptionist seemed to notice the line was growing further annoyed and decided to hurry things up. He'd take tickets without reading and checking ID now, just stuffing it into his front pocket and sending him in. The security guard wasn't frisking anyone anymore either. Dangerous, but, hey, it made things quicker.

When it was my turn, I just handed him my ticket and walked right in. The change of atmosphere from a gray, cold city to a warm, beige on the walls and brown on the floor convention center was immediate, with all the noise outside immediatelly being drowned out. A stage was set up in front for the Star Fox team to get up onto, a large table with several chairs behind it, with the banner "WELCOME BACK STAR FOX!" being displayed above. Multiple chairs were spread around in front, with guard rails separating those chairs from the stage.

I just looked for the empty seat closest to me. I got to sit in the far right of the middle row, right next to a mom with a baby next to me and a man completely asleep in front, snoring loudly. Just great.

And then, came ten minutes of waiting. I could pull my phone out right there, check for messages, play a game, anything, but I tend to feel uncomfortable messing with it in public. Just that paranoid feeling of thinking someone will be looking over your shoulder and watch your personal life displayed through a small screen. So, it was ten minutes of looking around.

The convention center was old and didn't seem to be touched up often. It was clean and polished, but the walls had plenty of cracks in them and the floor was pretty creaky. The usual for such an old building. Still, I was expecting more for the return of the Star Fox team. I was expecting a lot more for sure. Hell, the way they wanted to keep the crowd's temperature cool enough to be comfortable was with several small fans around the room. The complaints I heard from people around me proved that their cheapness definitely wasn't helping the cause.

And then, when I was just about to follow the same stigma as the guy in front, a woman stepped on stage. A cute looking cheetah.

"Hello, hello!" She yelled into the microphone. The crowd was taken rather by surprise, some getting startled and jumping from their seats, "How is everyone doing?!"

The few cheers and the overwhelming silence quite summed it up. I didn't cheer, but not due to my current discomfort, but simply because I was too shy to.

"Who's ready for the return of the heroic Star Fox team after ten years?!"

That one got a few more cheers, some guy to my left yelling "YEAH!" at the top of his lungs. I could feel the excitement growing within me, getting a smile out of me. Ten years for this. Sitting in a hot, big old room with about a hundred other people, but all to see my heroes return.

"I know you all waited a long time for this! You're all very tired and you've been complaining, trust us, we know." She let out a little giggle, "But if you lovely folks could wait just a little more, the Star Fox team will be here shortly..."

As expected, the crowd quickly turned to a bunch of boos and complaints. I crossed my arms and rested back, sighing angrily. What, were they fixing up the convention center? That's the only thing they could be doing in this dump to delay things further.

Then, what were boos turned to pure cheers. I looked up to the stage away and I could spot this blue, feathered frame right behind the cheetah girl. He steps beside her and simply yanks the microphone right off her hand.

"Enough waiting!" That familiar voice shouted. People went wild, crazy. That voice, live, after listening to it only in recordings, videos and documentaries. Finally, my ears could experience it coming right from the man himself, right before me. Falco Lombardi, "Let me show you how it's done, girl." He cleared his throat, then, ran across the stage, "HOW'S EVERYONE DOIIIIINNGGG?!"

Ten years. In retrospective, it may look like a small amount of time, but, man, I mean, that phony singer Jared Winston was still popular back then, politics weren't at such a high, games looked so much worse than the ones from nowadays...and to think I thought that waterfall of blood from that game Hellhole was the best liquid physics were ever going to get in video games. Heh.

I was so different back then too. Nine years old, still having some of my innocence in me, not having seen the worst of Corneria City's rotten side yet, as it was pretty much non-existant back then. That changed over the years. I grew progressively more and more cynical, but my hope for some things, like Star Fox's return, never died down. Is there hope in me that this city will go back to what it used to be?

Yes, there is. My idols are right before me, right now. I already feel like a child again.

"That's what I like to see!" Falco shouted as the crowd lost their mind. Fox stepped onto the stage, followed by Slippy and Peppy. The crowd just kept cheering, non-stop, never running out of breath. Fox gave us all two thumbs up, Slippy waved and Peppy just smiled.

Slowly, one by one, they sat down at their respective spots at the table. Their mics were already set up before them, one for each.

"Wow, heh..." Fox laughed, "...Seems like we have a lot of catching up to do, huh?"

The crowd laughed, me included.

"Man, last I saw some of you guys, I'm pretty sure some of you were still little kids! I hope I still have that same young look of always." Fox continued.

Now that I noticed, some of them definitely looked a bit older. Peppy always looked old, but the fur on his face had quite grown into a majestic big moustache. Fox had a little chin beard rowing out, not too long, but definitely noticeable. Falco didn't look all that different, but I noticed a scar descending down his left eyebrow, though his eye seemed unharmed. On closer inspection, it looked quite similar to the one Wolf had on his blind eye. Slippy looked exactly the same, not having grown even an inch taller.

Star Wolf are something I'd rather barely touch on. When I were younger, I remember seeing them as Star Fox's biggest enemies and therefore, my biggest enemies. But they made up by the time I were sixteen. Then, Star Wolf betrayed Star Fox and did something that makes my guts twist just from the mere thought of it. I don't want to talk about it, because I know none of the Star Fox members would want me, or anyone else, to do so.

The cheetah girl got her microphone back from Falco after he had his seat. She sat just to the left of Fox, at the left end of the table, "Gee, guys, it's been such a long time since we last saw you four! Before we start with the questions, let's start with some introductions! You know, just in case our fans haven't forgotten which one is which."

Laughs echoed around the room.

"This one is Fox McCloud!" She pointed her hand to him, Fox waving his hand to the crowd with a grin, "The one next to him is Falco Lombardi!" He stood up, waving both hands at the crowd, showing off as usual, before sitting back down, "The one over there is Slippy!" There was a brief pause, Slippy waiting for her to give the crowd his full name, "Slippy...Uh, Slippy-"

"Slippy Toad." He responded to her in a calm, but definitely stern voice.

"Slippy Toad!" Finally, he got to greet the crowd with a single, somewhat awkward wave, "And finally, Peppy Hare!"

Peppy just at there, writing something on his notepad, until Slippy gave him a bump with his elbow. Initially confused, Peppy waved at the crowd with his pencil in hand, but with somewhat of a startled look on his face.

It didn't matter, though. For each individual member, the crowd cheered, and I cheered along with them. Ten years. A decade.

And finally, they were here. The Star Fox team.

"Alright, alright, alright!" The cheetah exclaimed, "And now that we had our minds refreshed, we finally come to the moment we've all been waiting for! The long awaited Star Fox QnA!" She stood up from her chair, "And now that my job of introducing you all to this moment is finished, I no longer have any reason to be here anymore!"

And just like that, she dropped her microphone onto the table and walked off.

Huh. Okay, then.

Fox cleared his throat, putting his mouth up to his microphone, "Alright, friends! Just raise your hand and ask away to your heart's content! Just please save the more personal and explicit ones, okay?"

Within two seconds, the whole room had their hands raised.

"...Oh boy..." Fox's eyebrows jumped, "...This'll be a long day."


	5. Chapter 4: Idols

**Author's Note: Kept you waiting, huh? I'm sorry it took so long. Personal difficulties happened in my life which affected me badly enough to make me stop writing for a while. Things should be getting back in control for now, but I'm not making any promises.**

Questions. Questions. Questions.

"What are your opinions on the current state of Corneria's suburbs?" One excited journalist would ask.

"Uh...we just got here. I think I need to formulate a better answer for that one, otherwise I'll just help create controversial headlines." Fox responded.

"What was the toughest fight during the Aparoid War?" A chubby hyena questioned.

"Oof, that's a good one..." Fox rubbed his temples as he begun thinking, "...Man, the battle for Corneria, for sure."

"Corneria was a piece of cake to defend." Falco shrugged.

"No, it wasn't!" Fox's voice cracked at his buddy's blunt remark, earning a few laughs from the audience, "Oh dear..." He cleared his throat, not wanting to sound like he was going through a second puberty, "...Corneria was a tough fight. So much that those things almost had me for a second. Then...well, you guys know who came to my rescue." The last part sounded bitter, emotionless. Clearly, Fox still had resentment for what Star Wolf had done during their betrayal.

The room was silent for a moment. Some looked at each other, as if expecting someone to say something regarding Star Wolf. It were no secret, but no one really wanted to touch upon it, as tempting as it could be.

"I'm handing the microphone to Falco." Fox said as he passed the mic over to his feathered friend.

"Alright, alright, alright. Shoot them questions." Hands raised up again. I had mine raised, with a question just floating around my brain. A simple one. And what would you know? Falco pointed over to me, "You, uh...jackal?"

I nodded. Falco was all ears for me already.

Then, it hit me, like a sudden drag to reality.

 _Falco_ was listening to me.

The whole Star Fox team, in fact, had their eyes to me. My idols.

It was a delayed reaction for sure, but it struck me. It struck me hard. I had raised my hand thinking that Falco wasn't going to pick me, but he did. It was a complete reality check. I no longer were someone in the background, someone just sitting there and watching. I had a question for the Star Fox team and they were going to answer it.

My hands were shaking. My mouth hung open as I just looked to Falco awestruck, silent.

"...Uh?" He uttered into the microphone. Someone behind me gave a slap on the back of the head that put my brain back to work.

"Oh, uh, y-yeah!" I stuttered, some people laughing around me, "Er...h-how did...how did you get that scar, on your eye?"

Falco opened his beak...and didn't speak. His eyes looked at me, but then, wandered, rolling around in its sockets. He took his mic away from his beak as he exhaled. He seemed...lost? Did he not expect someone to make this question to him?

Then I noticed Fox giving the weirdest glare to me. It looked dry, sour. It looked...spiteful. He turned his head to Falco, patted his shoulder, said something into his ear. Tension in me was rising now.

I looked at Slippy, his fist curled and resting in front of his mouth, looking awkward. I felt anxiety building up in my chest.

Peppy had stopped scribbling, but had his pencil resting on his notepad. He sighed. I gulped.

I turned my head to the left. Everybody was looking at me. Every single one. Shocked faces, mouths agape, eyebrows furred down.

What? What did I do wrong? I didn't insult him. I didn't say something hateful.

But everyone, everyone in there, was looking right at me. And they were shocked. They were angry, they were thinking "how the hell could this guy ask such a thing?"

And I just sat there, looking back, feeling that antsy feeling. The feeling of doing something wrong and not knowing what.

I looked back to Falco. He coughed, looking down to the mic, "...I...take it you haven't been keeping up with the news?"

News? What? I always kept up to date with Star Fox. I never missed a single thing about them. I followed dozens of Star Fox blogs and their official accounts on social media. What did I miss? What did everyone know that I didn't know?

Then, it struck me.

Star Wolf's betrayal.

I was always so focused on the worst part of that betrayal, that I had hid the rest of it in the back of my mind. Something so awful that had made me shelve it deep into my brain in order to not think about it, along with some crucial details that were there, but I had forgotten about it. Something I censored within myself. Something so deeply hidden in me, that not even I could find it myself, so many years later.

I messed up. I did exactly what I didn't want to do. Exactly what they didn't want me to do and exactly what so many fans didn't want me to do.

"...I..." I said in a low tone, being barely heard, "...I...I forgot. I forgot about...not about the entirety of it, but..." I began choking up, the tingly, messy feeling inside of me growing higher. My legs were trembling, cold sweat going down my shirt, a cold chill up my spine. I felt like I was going to puke, "...Excuse me, for one second."

I stood up and I took the walk of shame towards the nearest bathroom. I weren't careful about picking my words but at least I were careful with going into the right door.

I stumbled towards the sink. I couldn't hear anything from outside. No voices, no boos, nothing. Not even from Star Fox. They were all uncomfortable and didn't know how to proceed.

...Damn it. It's not entirely my fault. I mean...I mean, come on, someone was going to ask a question regarding that horrible time sooner or later. Not everyone keeps up with the news, right?

Even though it was on every Cornerian newspaper, web article...it was everywhere. It was like the goddamn mayor had been assassinated.

Except it wasn't the mayor. It was Krystal.

Krystal...assassinated by Star Wolf after she refused to join them. Had an affair between Fox and Wolf and at the end, she chose Fox. She chose poorly. Wolf came and took her from them by force.

...Bastards spread parts of her body all across Lylat.

I turned the sink on. I needed white noise. I needed to forget, forget those things, put them back in their place, never let them out again. I'll wash my face, go out there, apologize, sit back down and everything will be fine.

I could hear Fox's voice through the wall, muffled. I had no clue what he was saying, but his tone made me think that the conversation topic had already switched.

I walked over to the door, put my hand on the handle...then froze. My limbs wouldn't move. My muscles stopped, as if turned to stone. The feeling grew stronger, louder. I wanted to get out but my body wanted to stay in.

A strange ache came over my joints.

I really, really didn't want to go outside.

I stook a step back. And another. Then another. I stared at the door and simply lowered my hand, letting go of the handle. I kept looking at it.

I waited ten years to come to a Star Fox QnA, offend all of them at once and then, watch a green bathroom door like it were a TV playing an episode of that Niko The Space Monkey show.

The sink was still flowing. It was all I could hear besides Fox's voice now. Oh man, just what do I do?

What do I do...?

My head sagged and my hands came to it. I rubbed my temples, grasped at my hair. I was trembling so vigorously, like a malnourished baby thrown in the snow.

I messed up so goddamn bad...

I wasn't keeping track of time. I must've stayed in that bathroom for fifteen or so minutes. I had hid inside a stall, even made the effort to put my legs up. No one had come in, but it's not like someone wouldn't feel nature's calling during a 4 hour QnA session.

I still had my hands holding my head, my body rocking back and forth as I kept shaking my head in denial. I still couldn't believe I had ruined things so badly for myself.

Then, the door opened and I froze up completely. Whoever came in closed it behind them and spoke up, "Hellooooooo?" I could hear them walking around, going past my stall, "Fox said you can come back. They're not angry at you."

For some reason, I didn't want to buy into it. I knew poking my head out of that bathroom would just earn me an awkward silence. My status as 'party pooper' was already set up for the participants of this convention. They didn't need to see a wreck of a man visibly regretting their actions via panic attack.

I held my breath.

"...Hello?" They asked again, knocking on a stall's door. My anxiety was spiking through the roof.

What were I even going to say when I came out of here? "Hey, I'm really sorry for having short-term memory and not remembering the most crucial of things?"

Was I overreacting? Or...or were _they_ overreacting?

"HELLO?!" He suddenly knocked on my stall's door loudly, enough for my legs to jolt and one foot hit the floor loudly. With no hesitation, the fan opened the door right open, seeing me sitting on the toilet, gripping the seat, "...Dude, get a grip of yourself."

The man who opened the door was a bit taller than me. He was an iguana, who rested his hand against the stall and put another on his hip.

"Leave me alone." I requested, waving him away.

"You're overreacting, man." He shook his head, "You're only making it worse for yourself by acting like this."

"If I go out there, I'm going to get lynched."

"What are you talking about? No, you won't!"

"I'll be humiliated. Everyone's going to be poking fun at me!"

"Where do you think you are? High school?"

I didn't say anything else. I simply got up from the toilet, still looking down, "...I didn't wait ten years for this..."

"Bro, seriously, stop blowing shit out of proportion. No one's going to laugh at you. No one thinks you're a joke. You just made a poorly timed question, that's all."

"..." I looked up to him, nervously. He extended me a hand.

"Get out of there." He asked me, "Staying for too long in these bathrooms might give you a disease."

I grabbed his hand and he pulled me right out of the stall. And back I were heading to the main room.

What was that I saw back there, then? Hundreds to thousands of death stares and no one wanted to wish me harm? Bullshit. The moment I come out of here, I'm going to have a tomato smashed against my face.

The moment I go through that doorway, I'm dead. The moment I go through that doorway I'll hear...I'll hear yelling...cheering, clapping.

Clapping?

I went through the door and now, everybody was now applauding me. And no, it didn't feel good. It felt sarcastic...ironic. They were only doing it to break out of the awkwardness I set.

Fox, Falco and Slippy were doing it too. Fox had a smile on his face, but Falco...Falco didn't want to look at me, simply looking down to the table they sat at. Slippy, with his everlasting enthusiasm, also were smiling to me.

But those smiles...they bounced right off the feeling that had wrapped around me like a python. Shame and disgust.

I didn't want to stay there for a second longer.

"Now, come on, go to your seat." The iguana behind me pat me on the back, rather forcibly, almost shoving me.

All the clapping and cheering slowly subsided as I sat back down, with everyone focusing their attention back to the team in front of them. Fox cleared his throat, now having the microphone in his hand, "So, to answer the guy's question, Falco got it in a pretty nasty fight. I think at this point, everyone in the team has a scar one way or another. Slippy's the most embarassing one, ain't that right?"

Slippy looked over to Fox with furrowed brows, making a sideways chopping move at his neck, telling Fox to cut it out. But Fox kept on, "Because Slippy still has a pretty nasty bruise on his leg from falling down the ship's stairs and taking Peppy along with him."

The frog palmed at his face while the audience just broke into a warm fit of laughter. I let out a chuckle, but at this point, I could barely keep my head up anymore. Looking at them gave cold chills down my back. Worse was looking at Falco. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't even looking at us anymore. He had his head down, hung in thought. My skin crawled thinking about what could be going through his head.

Slowly, things were picking up again. Everyone seemed to be moving on. I didn't dare raising my hand again, but at least the black clouds above the team seemed to be going away, with Falco even going back to answer some questions. My own black cloud, however, remained right over my head.

I hunched over, resting my head on my hands with my elbows to my thighs. I closed my eyes, still shaking my head at the ludicrous amounts of awkwardness I put everyone through with one bad question. No one was happy when I came back. I bet they were all told by Fox to clap for me just to break the ice. I could tell. I could feel it. Everyone right next to me didn't think any better of me after I walked out of that door. Everyone still hated me for being an ignorant ass.

...Should I really be blamed? For simply not knowing? Not remembering? I've been stressing over so much stuff these past few years, how the hell was I supposed to wake up everyday and think about what Star Wolf did?

Whatever...rest assured, everyone will forget about it in an hour or two. I hope.

"One last question!" Fox cried out. The fact he managed to stay upbeat for so long was mesmerizing, "One last question before we have our departure, guys!"

The crowd did that disappointed cheer sound you hear whenever something's about to end.

"Don't worry about it, we still have autographs to give out! You ain't seen the last of us yet!" Fox announced with a wink, "Now, who'll be the lucky one?!"

Hands raised again, this time, much lesser. Everyone already had gotten their answers except for a dozen or so. A dingo got picked.

"You, dingo! In the suit and glasses!" Fox announced, "Last question of the day!"

He cleared his throat, seemed to shuffle in his seat. The whole crowd had their attention to him. Then, he stood up.

"It's not really much of a question." He spoke. His tone was formal, his voice having a deep baritone, "...Just wanted to say something, really." There was a moment of silence, everyone started looking at each other, including the Star Fox team.

"...Well, do please go ahead?" Fox requested.

The suited canine in the crowd smirked, "...Well, first of all, thank you for your collaboration to Corneria. Second of all...the weather sure is holding up nicely, isn't it?"

Time seemed to freeze. I looked over to Fox. He...was petrified. Frozen in his seat, looking to the suited male with an expression that seemed to be a mix of surprise and horror. Falco seemed confuse by the question, eyes narrowing and slightly tilting his head forward. Slippy was the same as Falco and Peppy...

Peppy legitimately gasped. He looked up and his pen fell from his head.

I looked back to the dingo. He turned left and began making his way to the exit. The whole crowd started asking each other confused questions, some calling over to the man in the suit, but he simply waltzed right out of the doors.

What the hell was going on? What was that all about? Well, surely, that made up to be an even worse moment than the one I had before, but...what did this all mean?

I looked back to Fox. He now looked over to Peppy, eyes bulged out at each other. Then, he turned to the microphone, picking it back up and audibly nervously clearing his throat, "Er...folks, we're deeply sorry for the inconvenience, but...we're gonna have to cancel the autograph session."

The whole room broke into confused murmurs and questions. Meanwhile, the team simply stood up from their chairs, with Fox leading them off the panel.

Something definitely wasn't right, at all. No one knew what to do now. Remain seated? Get up and leave? Was something dangerous coming our way?

And then, finally, the booing started. Insults and mockery began being thrown at the team's way as they left the stage.

"Leaving us in the dark again! What freaking heroes you bunch are!" One shouted by me.

I figured I'd might as well use the racket to sneak out of there. People were actually trying to charge towards the stage to demand some answer from the team, only to be stopped by security quickly. Some were already going out the entrance, me included.

My curiosity was now talking louder than the sense of awkwardness I was feeling before. I had to find that dingo. I had to find what was so unsettling about that guy that it made the heroes of Lylat simply stand up and leave.

Luckily, looking to the right, I could see the same man in the same suit making an apparent PDA call next to his car, just as he were stepping into it. I jogged over to my bicycle, just as I heard the roar of his engine and his car drive off. Quickly, I was onto him.

Whatever I were putting myself in couldn't be good in the slightest. But what harm could tailing a possible felon who made a vague threat do after you embarass yourself meeting your idols after ten years, right?

Right...?


End file.
